Not applicable.
The present invention relates to slide-out rooms for recreational vehicles, and in particular, to leveling systems for such slide-out rooms.
In order to increase the available interior space of recreational vehicles or trailers, slide-out rooms or sections can be made integral with the structure of the vehicle or trailer. During transit, these rooms can be retracted and stored in the interior of the vehicle or trailer, with the exterior wall of the slide-out room flush with the exterior of the vehicle or trailer. To use the slide-out room, the vehicle is first parked and leveled. The slide-out room is then slid outward from the vehicle, increasing the interior space of the vehicle. A number of motive devices are currently used to extend and retract slide-out rooms. These devices may be hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, simple gearing mechanisms, sheave and pulley arrangements, or various combinations thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,918 discloses one type of operating mechanism for a slide-out room.
For such slide-out rooms it is typically desirable to lower the slide-out room somewhat as it is extended so that the floors of the slide-out room and the vehicle""s stationary room are generally at the same height. Leveling ramps are attached to the outside edge of the stationary room so that as the slide-out room is extended it slides down the ramp. It is common for a ledge to be provided for the inside edge of the slide-out room to rest on when it is fully extended. Usually an angled threshold piece is attached at the inside edge of the slide-out room to span the gap at the transition between the rooms.
Current ramp systems satisfactorily bring the floor of the slide-out room at or near the same height as the floor in the stationary room. Yet, typical ramps systems have to be cut to the specific dimension of the room opening width. Thus, the manufacturer must either custom cut the ramp for each order or maintain in inventory a variety of different lengths of ramps to fit a wide range of standard and custom room sizes. Moreover, since the rooms are often ten feet or more in width, it is typically necessary to inventory lengthy sections to cut down to the custom size. Left over short sections of the stock pieces often cannot be used (even if of considerable size) resulting in a waste of materials.
Accordingly, an improved leveling system is needed.
The present provides a leveling system for a slide-out room of a recreational vehicle. The leveling ramp assembly can include a ramp member and a face member. The ramp member has an elongated planar base rail and an elongated ramp declining from a floor of the vehicle to the base rail. A channel flange spaced from and extending in a plane generally parallel with the base rail defines a channel opening toward a front edge of the ramp member. The face member has an elongated planar face wall and an elongated planar support rail extending at an angle to the face wall so as to lie within the channel of the ramp member and connect the face member to the ramp member.
In a preferred form, there are at least two ramp members each extending less than the width of the slide-out room and connected end to end by the face member. And, there are at least two face members each extending less than the width of said slide-out room and disposed end to end and connected to one or more ramp members. Two end members connect ends of the ramp and face members to a frame of the vehicle. The end members each include a first plate perpendicular to the extension of the ramp and face members and a second plate mounted to the first plate to extend perpendicular to the first plate. The second plates have openings for fasteners to secure the end members to the vehicle frame.
In another form, the ramp member has a mounting flange extending from an intermediate location at an underside of the ramp generally parallel with the base rail and beyond an inner edge of the ramp. The mounting flange includes openings for fasteners to secure the ramp member to the vehicle floor.
Still further, the face member has upper, middle and lower rails. The lower rail can extend outwardly beyond a front of said face wall and there can be a back wall extending parallel to the face wall at inner edges of the middle and lower rails. The support rail and the channel flange have grip regions with mating indentations and projections.
In another preferred form, the invention provides includes an elongated ramp member defining a mounting flange and a sloped section declining therefrom to a base rail substantially parallel to the flange. The ramp member defines a groove opening in the direction of and substantially parallel to the ramp section. An elongated glide member has its own mounting flange and sloped section at an angle corresponding to that of the ramp so that the glide member nests on top of the ramp member. The glide member defines a bump section at the intersection of the flange and the sloped section having a leading side surface co-planar with the sloped section and a trailing side surface extending at an angle from the horizontal section of the glide member. A pair of end members support the ramp member from beneath at opposite ends. Preferably, the ramp member is aluminum and the glide member is plastic.
Thus, the invention provides a modular ramp assembly for leveling a slide-out room floor to a stationary room floor. The modular components can be assembled as needed to fit various room dimensions, thereby reducing the need for custom fitting. The lengths of individual pieces can be shorter, thus making shipping easier and less costly. The modular nature of the ramp assembly also provides flexibility in that a variety of facia can be assembled to the ramp as desired.
The ramp assembly also greatly improves the slideability of the slide-out room by extending the sloped or ramped sections of the assembly up to and above the height of the main floor. The slide-out floor thus rides along the extending section or bump of the ramp (spaced from the stationary floor) as it is retracted and extended. Doing so reduces the contact area between the slide-out and stationary floors, which correspondingly reduces the sliding friction therebetween. Reducing sliding friction extends the operational life of the drive components and reduces wear on the stationary room flooring.
These and other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description and drawings.